"Practice the way you want to play."

Who among us is guilty of over-coaching at times?

It’s easy to run the video sessions a couple minutes longer each day. We’ve all jammed one too many concepts into a practice or training camp session. When you place focus on multiple angles, ultimately they all get lost in the haze.

For Ottawa 67’s head coach Andre Tourigny, there are a select few key principles that build the foundation of playing the game the right way. Sure, these days hockey players come in all shapes, sizes, and moulds, but ultimately each individual serves a purpose: to help the team find success.

What does that process look like? What does it mean to play the game the right way?

Coach Tourigny and the 67’s want to get the puck back as quickly as possible so they can transition from defence to offence. To do that, players have to win their battles – this is a pillar of playing the right way.

When a player goes into the corner, how often do they come out with the puck?

Playing the right way isn’t easy — if it was, everyone would do it and our game would be boring. For Tourigny, perfecting these concepts starts in practice. Without healthy practice habits, it’s nearly impossible to play the right way for an extended period of time.

And the great news for coaches is that you can teach these habits.

Ultimately it’s up to the player to buy in. And when they do, and they play the right way, everybody wins in the long run.